Camera Labs

I was planning (only 2 weeks ago) to either get a Sony A700 + a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 or get a Sony A850. I settled on getting the A850, primarily because I have read some pretty bad things about Sony bodies and Sigma lenses (it happens with other camera bodies as well), and I couldn't afford an A700+Zeiss combo.

I just came across this post on Dyxum http://www.dyxum.com/dforum/topic54123_post594626.html#594626 that has links to various Sigma failure stats (not specific to Sony bodies, but I doubt it matters which mount the Sigma lens was made for) according to lensrental.com. If your in the market for a new lens, please take this into consideration and make sure you understand what the risks might be if you go to a 3rd party manufacturer (notice I said, "might" because you just may get an excellent copy that lasts for years, but the risk is certainly higher).

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I wish there was a way to randomly cycle through click-able thumbnails of my most recent images :'(

http://www.laroygreen.com (under construction)

It is always hard for the little people to have a feel for the reliability of a particular brand from own experiences as we don't get enough contact.

From a Sony perspective, the biggest issue to me with Sigma is the gear stripping issue. I've had it with a new out of box 10-20. It's not reported to be a commonly affected model, but it seems not immune. Going ahead, with the trend of dropping the body motor, the bane of screw drive will hopefully not be around too long and that problem will go away.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.

I bought the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 in the beginng of october and I have been shooting with it ever sens. I have noticed that there is, frontfocusing or then there is just softness in the shots that I have captured. At the moment I don't know how to tell the difference between these two errors. I notice this when I look the shots 100%. Otherwise it works like dream. I like the fact that it is so silent. Wich my camera isn't exactly.

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dslr: Sony a300 with VG-B30AM grip, Tamron 17-50mm F2.8, Sony 50mm. F1.8, Sony 70-400mm F4.0-5.6 SSM. Sony HVL-F58AM flashgun, Sony HVL-F56AM flashgun, Manfrotto 190XB with 486RC2 and 804RC2 heads. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/40884356@N06/

I have heard mention of the Sony screw drive not playing nicely with Sigma, especially the A900, but the fact remains that Sigma's also fail on other camera bodies as well, probably just as much.

However, lenses and bodies fail, it happens to every manufacturer, but what is inexcusable is taking a couple of months to fix a lens that was clearly defective, which I've also read about Sigma, who takes really long to replace or repair damaged glass (even though they have the best warranty around, at least on paper, 5 yrs in some cases).

I'm not bagging on Sigma. If you live close to a Sigma certified reseller or repair center, or you don't rely on a particular lens in a significant way, then getting a Sigma might actually be pretty good. However, if you live in the minnows like I do, I wouldn't want to take the chance and in the event that something does go wrong, be out in the cold for 6 months or more.

Granted, an equivalent Sony or Zeiss lens usually costs 2x as much, and although I am certain that some of that is just brand name inflation, I also think that a large portion of the higher price simple goes into better materials and better QC/QA systems. If you watch some of the unboxing videos for Zeiss, you see that each lens comes with a signed inspection card. That means someone sat with the lens, and made sure it was working correctly before it ever got sold. That is a reassuring feeling that just might justify the higher costs.

That being said, thousands of people use and swear by Sigma, and have never had a single problem and what I've said doesn't dismiss that (or attempts to). Overall, just make sure YOU understand what compromises you are making when you decide to buy a Sigma, Tamron, Sony or Zeiss lens.

@Heikki Taskinen: Maybe if you try to stop down the aperture a little that might fix the problem? Front focus, as far as I understand is rare (but it happens) and only serious testing under consistent and known situations can confirm its presence.

@popo: Sorry to hear about the lens. Is getting rid of the screw drive a good thing though? I mean if all lenses had a motor inside, they could still break and would probably cost quite a bit more. I dunno, would like to hear your opinion on this.

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I wish there was a way to randomly cycle through click-able thumbnails of my most recent images :'(

http://www.laroygreen.com (under construction)

Sigma service may depend on country too. They're pretty good in the UK, even better if we never need to use them of course I can't remember how long mine took but it was around 2 or 3 weeks I think.

While it is certainly possible for any built in motor to break down too, think about how often you hear about it. It isn't even close to Sigma gear stripping in frequency.

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Canon DSLRs: 7D, 5D2, 1D, 600D, 450D full spectrum, 300D IR mod
Lenses: EF 35/2, 50/1.8, 85/1.8, 135/2+SF, 28-80 V, 70-300L, 100-400L, TS-E 24/3.5L, MP-E 65, EF-S 15-85 IS
3rd party: Zeiss 2/50 makro, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300 f/2.8 OS, Celestron 1325/13
Tinies: Sony HX9V.